Pouring stands for liquid containers



Nov. 19, 1957 A. L. PUDDICOMBE ET AL 2,813,693

POURING STANDS FOR LIQUID CONTAINERS Filed May 6, 1955 INVENTORS ,4 1.5627 pUDD/COMBE 49c Ham/4E0 h. Ma /502w BY M, 4,

United States Patent POURING STANDS FOR LIQUID CONTAINERS Albert L. Puddicombe, Tacoma, and Howard H. Washburn, Seattle, Wash.

Application May 6, 1955, Serial No. 506,456

2 Claims. (Cl. 248141) This invention relates to a means for holding large generally cylindrical containers for convenience and ease in pouring the contents therefrom. In particular the invention concerns a novel pouring stand which will accommodate either circular or square containers of Selected capacity and standard construction, such as both five-gallon round and five gallon square cans. The invention is herein illustratively described by reference to its presently preferred form; however, it will be recognized that certain changes in the details thereof may be made without departing from the essential features involved.

Most bakeries, restaurants, hotels, etc-., purchase cooking oil and other liquids in five gallon containers, either round or sqaure in cross section. These containers are quite heavy when full and very difficult to pour from even with the use of both hands. The present invention provides a convenient and practicable rack or stand for such containers permitting the pouring of liquids therefrom with convenience and ease, and by use of only one hand if need be. The device is constructed in a manner practically eliminating the possibility of upsetting the container in the handling thereof for pouring purposes. The rack may be placed on a counter top, table, floor, or other suitable supporting surface as required. In its preferred and herein illustrated form the novel pouring rack is adjustable for supporting the container at different selected heights above the supporting surface in order to suit receptacles of different height placed on such surface or to facilitate pouring from the container when the level of contents therein is changed greatly.

Another object is the provision of such a pouring rack of rugged, simple and inexpensive construction capable of accommodating either round or square containers of standardized construction.

With these and other objects in view the invention will now be described by reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating the novel features as represented in the preferred embodiment thereof.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the pouring stand, the view illustrating by broken lines a cylindrical circular container mounted in the stand holder.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the stand.

Figure 3 is a side elevation view of the stand with the holder means therein tilted for dispensing of liquid from a container therein shown by broken lines.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the holder means, taken on line 44 in Figure 3, to illustrate the engagement of a retaining screw with the side of the circular container mounted in the holder means.

Figure 5 is a similar view illustrating the engagement of the retaining screw with the corner of a square con tainer.

Figure 6 is a sectional detail taken on line 6-6 in Figure 4.

As shown in the drawings the novel pouring stand comprises a base 10 of rectangular open frame construction formed by successively interconnected structural angle members 10a, 10b, 10c and 10d. Rubber pads 10c 2,813,693 Patented Nov. 19, 1957 mounted beneath the four corners of the base frame provide stability of the stand on smooth supporting surfaces.

Midway between opposite ends of the opposing sides 10a and are mounted the upright supports 12 and 14. These supports comprise rigid elongated plates secured at their lower ends by screws 16 to the vertical flanges of the base members 10a and 100. Near the upper ends of each such upright support are formed a vertical series of downwardly and inwardly inclined notches 12a and 14a respectively, which are enlarged at their inner ends to serve as journal supports for pivot elements on the holder means tobe described.

The holder means 18 by which either square or circular containers of a given volumetric capacity and standard construction may be retained in the pouring stand is supported pendulously by and between the upright supports 12 and 14. For this purpose the socket-like holder structure has oppositely projecting mutually aligned pivot pins 18a projecting from diagonally opposite corners thereof near the top of such structure. These pins are releasably engageable selectively in the bases of any selected pair of supporting notches 12a and 14a in the respective upright supports 12 and 14, depending upon the desired height at which the holder-borne container is to be mounted above the stand base.

The holder structure further comprises a generally circular band 18b extending substantially continuously around the top thereof and provided with outwardly projecting corner portions 18b at successive locations spaced apart by 90 around the band perimeter as shown. The bottom of the holder structure is formed by a square open framework maintained in parallel relationship and in align ment with the band 18b by means of the four upright corner members 18d interconnecting the respective corners of the band and of the framework, as shown. These corner members 18d are of structural angle form with the angles opening diagonally inwardly of the frame structure to serve as corner guides for the slidable insertion and removal of square cross-sectional containers into and from the holder structure. As previously mentioned the oppositely projecting pivot pins 18a support the holder structure pendulously in the space between the upright supports 12 and 14 above the base 10.

A can or similar container C5 of square cross section fits slidably in the holder structure 18 (Figure 5) with the four corners of the container received in the square corners of the holder. The bottom of the container rests on the rectangular bottom frame 18c and is securely held against sliding out of the holder when the latter is tilted downwardly as in Figure 3 by means of a clamp screw 20 threaded in the bottom frame 18c preferably at a corner location diagonally opposite that at the side of the stand from which liquid is to be dispensed from the container. This clamp screw is located at a height to engage the container side just above the bottom seam Cs (Figure 6). Thus when the holder structure carrying the container is tilted about the pivot pins 18a as a support, there will be no likelihood of the container slipping out of the holder and the attendant will be safe in using but one hand in pouring from the container. When the container has been emptied the clamp screw 20 may be retracted and the container removed from the holder for replacement. In Figure 4 the same clamp screw 20 is shown engaged with a container Cc of circular cross section. In order for the end of a single clamp screw threaded in the corner of the holder to press approximately normally against the sides of either square or circular containers the screw axis is angled inwardly somewhat from the adjacent side of the holder adjoining that through which the screw passes. This is an incidental feature, however, and it will be evident that various modified A container Co of circular cross section is accommodated within the holder 1 8 with the same convenience; and stability as a container of square cross section. The

circular contour of the container'isfitted by the arcuate portions of the band 18b at thetop of the holder, whereas; the container bottom rests on the sides of the holder bottom flame structure 18c, as illustrated in Figure 1.; The container sides overlap and project outwardly beyond these frame sides, but by reason of the corner abutments 18c projecting upwardly from each frame side to contact spaced apart by 90 degrees around said band to receive the corners of a square container slidably therein, said holder further comprising a square open-frame base portion including four substantially straight members successively joined to form a square configuration of internal dimensions smaller than the cross section of the square containers and of outer dimensions slightly exceeding the cross section of such containers, four upright elongated the container bottom the latter is maintained centeredin in the holder, so that with 1a full container the same will hang pendulously from the supporting pins 18a and will be self-righting, so that if accidentally the operator should lose, his grip on the tiltable holder in pouring position as in Figure 3 the holder will swing intoerect position automatically with little or no spillage from the container. When placing a container in the holder structure (Figure 1), the pouring spout S is located approximately in registry with the holder corner diagonally opposite that carrying the clamp screw 20, so that as the holder is progressively tilted the descending pouring spout will approach close to the underlying receptacle (not shown) and afford maximum control over directing the issuing stream of liquid into the receptacle.

I These and other aspects and details of construction of the illustrated pouring stand together with equivalent variations thereon will be evident to those skilled in the art.

We claim as our invention: a

l. A pouring, holder for generally cylindrical liquid containers of square and circular cross: section, comprising a container holder including a substantially continuous circular band extending around the top thereof of an internal diameter suited for retaining a circular container therein, said band having four outwardly deflected corner corner members of angular form opening diagonally inwardly of said holder and interconnecting the corners of said band and of said base portion and maintaining the same in generally superimposed parallel relationship, said upright corner members having flanges substantially flush with the outer edges of the respective base portion members connected thereto and serving as guides to receive slidably the corners of a square container within said corner members, whereby the bottom edges of such a container rest on said base portion members, and abutment elements on both sides of said corner members near said bottom portion, said abutment elements projecting transversely along the respective sides of said holder in registry with the outer edges of said bottom portion mem: bers by a predetermined distance to engage the sides of a circular container and center the same in the bottom of said holder resting on said bottom portion members, and support means comprising opposite side portions pivotally connected to diagonally opposite corners of the holder near the top thereof for pendulously suspending said holder therebetween.

2. The pouring holder defined in claim 1, wherein the abutment elements comprise strips projecting upwardly from the outer edges of the bottom portion members and laterally from the adjacent corner member sides.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS portions therein forming substantially -degree angles Pedersen May 17, 1955 

